Somewhere over the Lehern Desert

Two Su-35Ss race to intercept an unidentified aircraft flying at thirty five thousand feet.
<<This is AWACS Overseer.>>
<<Barricade Team, be advised, we've already told the trespasser to turn around but we haven't received any replies. Make visual contact first then proceed to shoot down once identified as hostile.>>

<<Barricade One, roger that.>>

Barricade Team finally detected the aircraft as they flew above the clouds. It appeared as a dot in the distance while Overseer marked it as "Unknown" on their radar. The two switched to their heat seekers as they maneuvered their aircraft to flank Unknown. They got a long glance of the aircraft, it was a flying wing with three large symmetric pods. Each section had a stealthy after-burning nozzle but only the starboard and port nozzles appeared to generate thrust. As they got closer, they saw the Union Air Force insignia on the sides of the pods.

<<Overseer this is Barricade One. The target appears to be a drone. It has the Union insignia on it.>>
<<Roger that. You're cleared to shoot it down.>>
<<Barricade One, copy.>>

The two Flankers then pulled back and positioned themselves to shoot it down. They were having a strange feeling as the drone didn't seem to care about their presence. Then, the nozzles immediately came to life as it's afterburners were turned on. It turned and dived with the Flankers tailing it.

<<Damn it! Overseer, the drone's diving. It's fast!>>
<<It has three engines, of course it's fast.>> Replied Barricade 2.

The drone flew low and fast over the dessert. Radar lock was impossible at that height. Barricade 2 stayed at a high altitude to provide top cover for Barricade 1 as he tried to shoot down the drone.

<<This is Overseer. There are civilians in the area, mainly near Mabel Creak, try to shoot it down before it reaches there.>>

Fortunately for Barricade 1, the drone didn't fly to Mabel Creak. Unfortunately, the drone took a right turn and dived into Heller canyon.

<<The thing hid in the canyon! Barricade One, do you need assistance?>>
<<Negative. I'll chase it down. Once it flies out of the canyon, shoot it down and try not to hit me in the process.>>
<<Roger.>>

Any other pilot will just wait for the hostile to pull up, but Barricade 1 gently swooped into the canyon and switched to guns as he maneuvered through the narrow section. He was amazed when he saw the drone flying through the canyon like it used to the terrain, him on the other hand was trying not to scrape his wingtips on the canyon walls. As they turned into the wider part, Barricade 1 finally switched to his heat seeker missiles and got a lock on the drone. He thought he lucked out when the drone kept a straight line, he fired a missile, but he was shocked when the single red box on his HUD split into three green targets.

<<Shit! Be advised. Drone has split into three. I repeat, drone has split into three.>>
<<What the hell? Overseer, what do we do now?>>
<<Shoot them all down!>>

Barricade 1 chased the center drone as they finally left the canyon. Barricade 2 picked the nearest drone to him and tailed it. Meanwhile, the third drone went missing from radar. Barricade 1 used his cannon and fired off several rounds, however the drone was now agile without the other two attached to it. Barricade 2 had a bit more luck when his missile landed a hit on the drone that sent it falling towards the side of a cliff. After a few minutes of twisting and turning, Barricade 1 finally downed the drone. He watched as it fell towards the ground engulfed fire. The two got into formation and scanned the area.

<<Overseer, two drones down. We lost the third one.>>
<<I was tracking the other drone, it crash twenty miles north. It probably ran out of fuel. Barricade Team, good work. Return to base.>>
<<Barricade One, roger. >>
<<Huh. It crashed. Sad, I wanted to get it.>>
<<Next time, Two, next time.>>

The two Flankers turned and accelerated towards their air base after a long fight. Overseer's operator watched the two green arrows on his screen disappear as they left the operational airspace.

<<Alright boys, let's go home as well. Our work here is done.>>

The AWACS which was a hundred miles from the airspace turned to land back as well. The operator watched as a single red arrow disappear as it flies back home.

A prototype splitting drone.
Teaser? Maybe.
Similarities to AC7? Probably.
Hotel? Trivago